By Tyvez Monroe |Sports writerThe Augusta University men's basketball team defeated Claflin University 77-66 in Orangeburg, S.C., on Wednesday night, Nov. 13.The Jaguars (2-1) were led by sophomore guard Miguel Arnold, who was firing on all cylinders. Arnold finished with 23 points, hitting 5 of 11 on three-pointers.Rafaael Monteiro, a senior forward and first team pre-season All-Peach Belt Conference first team member, added 17 points and five rebounds for AU.Sophomore center Tyshaun Crawford chipped in 14 points and five rebounds with same nice post moves that included two dunks. Junior guard Troy Cracknell had 10 points and six boards. Freshman forward Lee Flenor had 10 rebounds.The Jags played well on the offensive end, shooting 53 percent from the field.Cornelius Reynolds paced the Panthers with 22 points. Devin Smith added 12.AU coach Dip Metress made a change in the lineup by taking the 7-foot Crawford out and putting in the 6-7 Flenor.“Sometimes it is hard for Tyshaun to guard the ball screens," Metress said. "Lee is more athletic and quicker, which gives us a better chance to guard the screens.”In the second half, Metress called a timeout and was not happy with how disjointed the team was looking. He huddled the team and encouraged them to stay together.The Jaguar coach was also upset that his team was slow to adjust to tight officiating that resulted in 27 fouls being called on AU. Claflin shot 35 free throws, compared to just 15 for Augusta. Tyree Myers and Cracknell both fouled out, and three other Jaguars played with four fouls.Monteiro is the only senior on the team this season. He is leader on the floor and in the classroom. After the Claflin win, he said the little things will make the difference for the team to repeat its success of last season, when AU went 28-6 and won the Peach Belt.“The key points for us to win are defense and rebounding," Monteiro said. "We also have to stay together through adversity. I lead by example. Although I’m the only senior, I am not the only leader. Teams have extra energy to play us due to our success from last season. We have to make sure we are ready night in and night out, which starts with practice.”Arnold, PBC freshman of the year last season, shot horribly in the Jags' season opener as he shot 3-14 in an 88-82 loss to Mount Oliver in Wilson, N.C. The next two games, the Miami product has been much better, shooting 43 percent against Barton (an 88-85 win) and 53 percent against Claflin.“Shooters shoot," Arnold said. "I never worry about how many shots I miss. It’s all about the next shot. After the season opener, I stayed true to myself and I trusted all the hard work I put in, which is why I’m shooting better now.”In the Jags loss to the Mount Olive Trojans at the 45 Second Classic, AU fell behind 39-34 at halftime and were outscored 49-48 in the second half. The next day the Jaguars rallied from a 42-40 halftime deficit to grab the three-point victory.Up next for Augusta is its home opener on Tuesday, Nov. 19, against Catawba. Tipoff in Christenberry Fieldhouse will be 7:30 p.m. The Jags will also be receiving their championship rings for winning the PBC championship last season. Contact Tyvez Monroe at TMONROE@augusta.edu.